_ 


AND 


m  li 


i  rn,  f  .  Ay  ^ 


fcfltlS 


N  U  V  1 


1*.  nos 


UNIVERSE 


V  rl 


ill: 


v9 


OF  THE 


fUfonncfc  Episcopal  (Ktjnrcl), 


|M 


Qtboptelr  in  (Setter  a  l  (Samuil, 

IN  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK,  MAY,  1874; 

&nlr  ^menbcir 

JULY,  1876;  MAY,  1877;  AND  MAY,  1878. 


|{  E  W  y  O  R  K  ; 

PRINTED  BY  EDWARD  O,  JENKINS, 

20  NORTH  WILLIAM  STREET. 

1878. 


DECLARATION  OF  PRINCIPLES 

OF  THE 

Heformeb  Episcopal  <JII)ui*ct). 

(Adopted  December  2d,  1873,  and  Re  affirmed  May  18th,  1874.) 


The  Reformed  Episcopal  Church,  holding  “the  faith  once  delivered  unto  the 
saints,”  declares  its  belief  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  as 
the  Word  of  God,  and  the  sole  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice  ;  in  the  Creed  “  commonly 
called  the  Apostles’  Creed  ;  ”  in  the  Divine  institution  of  the  Sacraments  of  Baptism 
and  the  Lord’s  Supper;  and  in  the  doctrines  of  grace  substantially  as  they  are  set 
forth  in  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  Religion. 

n. 

This  Church  recognizes  and  adheres  to  Episcopacy,  not  as  of  divine  right,  but 
as  a  very  ancient  and  desirable  form  of  church  polity. 

III. 

This  Church  retaining  a  Liturgy  which  shall  not  be  imperative  or  repressive  of 
freedom  in  prayer,  accepts  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  as  it  was  revised,  proposed, 
and  recommended  for  use  by  the  General  Convention  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  a.  d.  1785,  reserving  full  liberty  to  alter,  abridge,  enlarge,  and  amend  the 
■same,  as  may  seem  most  conducive  to  the  edification  of  the  people,  “provided  that 
tne  substance  of  the  faith  be  kept  entire.” 

IV. 

This  Church  condemns  and  rejects  the  following  erroneous  and  strange  doc¬ 
trines  as  contrary  to  God’s  Word  : 

First ,  That  the  Church  of  Christ  exists  only  in  one  order  or  form  of  ecclesiasti¬ 
cal  polity  : 

Second ,  That  Christian  ministers  are  “Priests”  in  another  sense  than  that  in 
which  all  believers  are  “  a  royal  priesthood :  ” 

Third,  That  the  Lord’s  Table  is  an  altar  on  which  the  oblation  of  the  Body  and 
Blood  of  Christ  is  offered  anew  to  the  Father  : 

Fourth ,  That  the  Presence  of  Christ  in  the  Lord’s  Supper  is  a  presence  in  the 
elements  of  Bread  and  Wine  : 

Fifth,  That  Regeneration  is  inseparably  connected  with  Baptism. 


i 


L 


I  l\l  1%  .  «*'  (Sirreft  l^ib/t'cq/  /rrst.  ^  Vr,  /JA , 


I 


d 


asV.i 

fuses' 


\S>!^ 


®nblc  of  Contents. 


®lt«  Cionstitutian,  . 


®J»c  (Jktioits, 


PAGE 

5 


11 


®itte  I. — Of  the  Ministry,  and  of  the  Doc¬ 
trine  and  Worship  of  this 
Church, . 13 


II. — Of  the  Organized  Bodies  of  this 

Church, . 30 


III. — Of  Discipline,  . 


31 


;•  ♦ 


f 


59355 


CONSTITUTION. 

j 

i 

(ton.stitution, 

1 

ADOPTED  IN  GENERAL  COUNCIL, 

In  New  York  City,  May,  1874, 

Amended  May,  1877,  and  May,  1878. 

ARTICLE  I.* 

There  shall  be  a  General  Council  of  the  Re- 

General  Coun- 

formed  Episcopal  Church,  on  the  fourth  Wed¬ 
nesday  in  May,  in  each  year;  and  in  such  place 
as  shall  be  determined  by  the  Council ;  and  in 

cil. 

case  there  should  be  an  epidemic  disease,  or  any 
other  good  cause  to  render  it  necessary  to  alter 

Change  of 

the  place  fixed  on  for  any  such  meeting  of  the 
Council,  the  Bishop  presiding  shall  have  it  in  his 
power  to  appoint  another  convenient  place,  for 

Place. 

the  holding  of  such  Council ;  and  special  meet- 

Special  Meet - 

ings  may  be  called  at  other  times,  in  the  manner 

ings. 

hereafter  to  be  provided  for ;  and  six  Ministers 
and  six  lay  members  shall  be  present  before  they 
shall  proceed  to  business,  except  that  three  Min- 

Quorum. 

isters  and  three  lay  members  shall  be  sufficient 
to  adjourn;  and  in  all  business  of  the  Council 

Freedom  of  De- 

freedom  of  debate  shall  be  allowed. 

bate. 

ARTICLE  II. 

The  General  Council  shall  consist  of  all  the 
Bishops  and  Presbyters  of  this  Church,  with  lay 

Membership  in 
General  Coun- 

representatives  who  shall  be  communicants  and 

cil. 

5  1 

*  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


1 


Lay  Deputies. 


Members  o  / 
First  General 
\  C ou7ici l  to 
have  a  seat 
and  a  vote. 


Vote  by  orders. 


Bishops. 


To  vote  with  the 
Presbyters. 


Presiding 

Bishop. 


Jurisdiction  of 
Bishops 


6 


CONSTITUTION. 


members  of  the  congregation  they  may  repre¬ 
sent.  Each  congregation  shall  be  entitled  to  one 
Deputy,  and  to  one  additional  for  every  fifty 
communicants.  The  Deputies  shall  be  chosen 
by  the  respective  congregations. 

Provided,  also,  that  all  those  persons  who  were 
present,  and,  as  signers  of  the  original  call,  voted 
in  the  First  General  Council  of  this  Church,  shall 
be  entitled  to  a  seat  and  a  vote  in  the  General 
Council  until  otherwise  ordered. 

In  all  questions,  when  required  by  five  mem¬ 
bers,  the  vote  shall  be  by  Orders ;  and  in  such 
case  the  concurrence  of  both  Orders  shall  be 
necessary  to  constitute  a  vote  of  the  Council. 

ARTICLE  III. 

The  Bishops  of  this  Church  shall  be  members 
ex-officio  of  the  General  Council,  and  when  a 
vote  is  taken  by  Orders  they  shall  vote  with  the 
Presbyters. 

The  President  of  the  General  Council  shall  be 
chosen  by  ballot  from  among  the  Bishops,  to 
serve  for  one  year;  and  during  his  term  of  office 
he  shall  be  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  this  Church  ; 
Provided,  that  such  annual  election  shall  not  pre¬ 
clude  the  re-election  of  the  same  Bishop  to  that 
office. 

ARTICLE  IV.  * 

The  Bishops  of  this  Church  shall  be  chosen  or 
received  agreeably  to  such  rules  as  shall  be  fixed 
by  the  General  Council;  and  their  jurisdiction, 
powers,  duties,  and  terms  of  office,  in  any  Synod 
or  Episcopal  Jurisdiction,  shall  be  such  as  the 
Genera]  Council  may  hereafter  define ;  and  any 
Bishop  of  this  Church  may  ordain,  confirm,  or 


*  Amended  May,  1877. 


CONSTITUTION. 


perform  any  other  act  of  the  Episcopal  Office,  at 
the  request  of  any  Bishop,  or  of  any  Church  in 
communion  with  this  Church. 


ARTICLE  V.* 


♦ 


Any  congregation  not  now  represented,  may 
at  any  time  hereafter  be  admitted  to  union  with 
this  Church,  and  be  entitled  to  representation  in 
accordance  with  Article  II.,  on  acceding  to  this 
Constitution,  and  to  the  Doctrine,  Discipline,  and 
Worship  of  this  Church. 

Six  or  more  adjoining  congregations  in  union 
with  this  Church,  with  six  or  more  Presbyters 
of  this  Church,  may  associate  themselves  into  a 
Synod  (taking  its  name  from  a  town  or  city), 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  a  Bishop  of  this  Church. 
Each  Synod  shall  be  composed  of  all  the  minis¬ 
ters  of  this  Church  within  its  limits,  and  such 
number  of  Lay  Deputies  from  each  congregation 
as  the  Synod  may  determine ;  and  each  Synod 
shall  have  power  to  frame  a  Constitution  and 
Canons  for  its  own  government,  not  conflicting 
with  the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  the  General 
Council. 


Admission  of 
C(  ’’gregations. 


Synods. 


ARTICLE  VI. 


The  mode  of  trying  Bishops  and  other  Minis¬ 
ters  shall  be  provided  by  the  General  Council. 
The  Court  for  that  purpose  shall  be  composed 
of  Bishops  and  Presbyters ;  and  the  General 
Council  shall  be  a  Court  of  final  appeal.  The 
Sentence,  in  any  case,  shall  be  pronounced  by  a 
Bishop  of  this  Church. 


Ecclesiastical 
Courts ,  Tri¬ 
als ,  and  Sen¬ 
tences. 


T 


*  Amended  May,  1877. 


Requisites  for 
Ordination  or 
Reception  of 
Ministers. 


Parity  o f  Pres¬ 
byters. 


Book  of  Com¬ 
mon  Prayer. 


Alterations , 

how  m,  ide. 


8 


CONSTITUTION. 


ARTICLE  VII. 

No  person  shall  be  ordained  to  the  Holy  Minis¬ 
try,  or  be  received  as  an  ordained  Minister  from 
another  Church,  until  he  shall  have  been  exam¬ 
ined  by  a  Bishop  and  by  two  Presbyters,  and 
shall  have  exhibited  such  testimonials  and  other 
requisites  as  the  Canons  of  this  Church  may  di¬ 
rect.  Nor  shall  any  person  be  so  ordained,  or 
received,  until  he  shall  have  subscribed  the  fol¬ 
lowing  declaration  : 

“  I  do  believe  the  Holy  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  to  be  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  contain  all  things 
necessary  to  Salvation  ;  and  I  do  solemnly  engage  to  conform 
to  the  Doctrine,  Discipline,  and  worship  of  the  Reformed  Epis¬ 
copal  Church,  so  long  as  I  shall  continue  a  Minister  thereof." 

The  ecclesiastical  Parity  of  Presbyters  of  this 
Church,  whether  Episcopally  or  otherwise  or¬ 
dained,  shall  be  maintained  as  a  fundamental 
principle  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church. 

ARTICLE  VIII* 

A  Book  of  Common  Pra}^er,  Administration  of 
the  Sacraments,  and  other  Services  of  this  Church, 
Articles  of  Religion,  and  forms  for  Receiving, 
Ordaining,  and  Consecrating  Bishops  and  other 
Ministers,  when  established  by  this  or  a  future 
General  Council,  shall  be  used  in  this  Church,  at 
such  times,  and  with  such  liberty,  as  the  Canon 
on  this  subject  shall  provide ;  but  no  Canon  shall 
make  its  use  imperative  on  all  occasions,  nor  for¬ 
bid  the  use  of  extempore  or  other  prayer  at  suit¬ 
able  times.  No  alterations  or  additions  shall  be 
made  in  this  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  or  other 


*  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


CONSTITUTION. 

Offices  of  this  Church,  or  the  Articles  of  Relig¬ 
ion,  unless  the  same  shall  be  approved  by  vote 
in  one  General  Council,  and  finally  ratified  in  the 
subsequent  General  Council  ;  Provided,  that  such 
alterations  or  additions  may,  by  unanimous  con¬ 
sent,  be  made  by  any  General  Council. 

ARTICLE  IX. 

Nothing  calculated  to  teach — either  directly 
or  symbolically — that  the  Christian  Ministry  pos¬ 
sesses  a  Sacerdotal  character,  or  that  the  Lord’s 
Supper  is  a  Sacrifice,  shall  ever  be  allowed  in 
the  worship  of  this  Church  ;  nor  shall  any  Com¬ 
munion  Table  be  constructed  in  the  form  of  an 
altar. 

Ritualism  Pro¬ 
hibited. 

ARTICLE  X  * 

This  Constitution  shall  be  unalterable,  unless 
the  proposed  alterations  shaj'l  be  first  approved 
by  vote  in  one  General  Council,  and  finally  rati¬ 
fied  in  the  ensuing  General  Council ;  Provided, 
that  such  alterations  may  be  made  at  any  Gene¬ 
ral  Council  by  unanimous  consent. 

A  mendments . 

9 

*  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding. from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/constitutioncano00refo_0 


t 


CANON  I . 

§  I-j  n. 

litlc  I. 

OF  THE  MINISTRY,  AND  OF  THE  DOCTRINE 

AND  WORSHIP  OF  THIS  CHURCH. 

CANON  1. 

Of  Candidates  for  the  Ministry. 

A  dmission  of 
Candid  ates 
•who  are  mem¬ 
bers  of  this 
Church. 


Application  to 
be  made  to  a 
Bishop  of  this 
Church. 


13 


§  I.  No  person  shall  be  admitted  as  a  Candi¬ 
date  for  the  Ministry  in  this  Church,  unless  he 
shall  have  produced  a  certificate  signed  by  at 
least  one  Presbyter  and  four  male  communicants 
of  this  Church,  certifying  that  from  personal 
knowledge,  or  from  satisfactory  evidence  laid 
before  them,  they  believe  that  he  is  pious,  sober, 
and  honest ;  that  he  is  attached  to  the  doctrine, 
discipline,  and  worship  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal 
Church;  a  communicant  of  the  same;  and  in 
their  opinion  possesses  such  qualifications  as  will 
render  him  apt  and  meet  to  exercise  the  Minis¬ 
try,  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  edifying  of  the 
Church. 

§  II.  Every  person  who  desires  to  become  a 
Candidate  for  the  Ministry  in  this  Church,  shall, 
in  the  first  instance,  apply  to  a  Bishop  of  this 
Church  having  jurisdiction;  and  such  Bishop 
may  admit  the  person  as  a  Candidate,  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Standing 
Committee. 


Otitic  I. 


CANON  1. 


III.-V. 


Of  Candidates  for  the  Ministry. 


Reception  of 
candidates 
from  other 
Churches. 


§  III.  When  a  candidate  for  the  ministry  in 
any  other  Church  shall  desire  to  be  received  as 
such  in  this  Church,  he  shall  apply  to  a  Bishop 
of  this  Church  having-  jurisdiction ;  which  appli¬ 
cation  shall  be  accompanied  by  a  regular  dismis¬ 
sal  from  the  ecclesiastical  authority  of  the  Church 
to  which  he  belonged ;  or,  in  default  of  such  dis¬ 
missal,  by  a  written  certificate  from  at  least  two 
Presbyters  of  this  or  some  evangelical  Church, 
stating  that  from  personal  knowledge  of  the  party, 
they  believe  that  his  desire  to  leave  the  Church 
to  which  he  belonged,  has  not  arisen  from  any 
circumstances  unfavorable  to  his  moral  or  religi¬ 
ous  character,  or  on  account  of  which  it  may  be 
inexpedient  to  admit  him  to  the  exercise  of  the 
ministry  in  this  Church.  The  Bishop  and  Stand¬ 
ing  Committee  may  thereupon  admit  him,  on  his 
acceding  to  the  doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship 
of  this  Church. 


Supervision  of 
candidate:. 


§  IV.  The  Bishop,  or  other  ecclesiastical  au¬ 
thority  who  may  have  the  superintendence  of 
candidates  for  the  ministry,  shall  take  care  that 
they  pursue  their  studies  diligently  and  under 
proper  direction,  and  that  they  cultivate  those 
pious  and  studious  habits,  which  become  those 
who  are  preparing  for  the  holy  ministry.  Every 
candidate  for  the  ministry  shall  be  under  the  di¬ 
rection  of  the  ecclesiastical  authority  to  whose 
jurisdiction  he  may  belong. 


Not  eligible  as 
Lay  Deputies. 

14 


§  V.  No  candidate  for  the  ministry  shall  be 
eligible  as  a  Lay  Deputy  to  the  General  Council 
or  to  a  Synod. 


CANON  2. 

§  I -III. 

General  Provisions  and  Requisites  for  Ordination . 

§  VI.  A  candidate  for  the  ministry  in  good 
standing,  may  be  transferred  by  letters  of  dismis¬ 
sion  from  the  Bishop  or  Standing  Committee  by 
whom  he  was  admitted  a  candidate,  to  the  juris¬ 
diction  of  any  Bishop  of  this  Church,  or  to  the 
ecclesiastical  authority  of  any  Christian  Church. 

Transfer  and 
dismission  of 
candidates.  j 

i 

1 

§  VII.  The  term  of  continuance  as  a  candidate, 
shall  be  determined  by  the  Bishop  and  Standing 
Committee  having  jurisdiction. 

. 

Term  of  contin¬ 
uance. 

CANON  2. 

General  Provisions  and  Requisites  for  Ordination . 

§  I.  No  person  shall  be  ordained  to  the  minis¬ 
try  in  this  Church,  who,  for  reasons  affecting  his 
moral  or  religious  character,  has  been  refused 
ordination  elsewhere. 

Bar  to  ordina¬ 
tion. 

§  II.  No  person  shall  be  ordained  to  any  office 
of  the  ministry  in  this  Church  until  he  shall  be 
twenty-one  years  old. 

Requisite  age. 

§  III.  No  Presbyter  shall  present  a  person  to  a 
Bishop  for  ordination,  as  specified  in  the  ordina¬ 
tion  office,  without  having  good  grounds  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  the  requisitions  of  these  Canons  have 
been  complied  with. 

None  to  be  pre¬ 
sented  not  du¬ 
ly  qualified. 

\ 

15 

®itlc  I, 

C  A  N  0  N  3  .  §  I.-IV. 

Examination. 

Of  Deacons. 

CANON  3. 

Of  Deacons. 

§  I.*  Every  person  hereafter  to  be  ordained  a 
Deacon  in  this  Church,  shall  be  examined  by  a 
Bishop  and  two  Presbyters,  whose  duty  it  shall  be 
to  ascertain  that  he  is  well  acquainted  with  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  and  with  the  doctrine  and  wor¬ 
ship  of  this  Church ;  and  before  his  examination 
he  shall  present  a  testimonial  from  at  least  one 
Presbyter  of  this  Church,  signifying-  a  belief  in  his 
fitness  for  this  office,  and  in  his  purity,  good  mor¬ 
als,  and  orderly  conduct;  and  he  must  further  be 
able  to  show  that  he  is  calculated  to  be  useful  in 
ministerial  work. 

Testimonials. 

,  §  II.  Before  any  person  shall  be  ordained  a 
Deacon,  he  shall  present  to  the  Bishop  testimo¬ 
nials  from  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  juris¬ 
diction  of  said  Bishop,  signed  by  a  majority  of 
the  said  Committee,  duly  convened,  of  the  same 
character  as  required  in  §  I.  of  this  Canon. 

May  be  ordain¬ 
ed  Presbyters. 

§  III.  Any  Deacon,  who  shall  complete  the 
studies  and  pass  the  examination  required  for 
the  office  of  a  Presbyter,  may  be  ordained  to  that 
office  by  a  Bishop,  with  the  consent  of  the  Stand¬ 
ing  Committee,  as  hereafter  provided  for. 

Transfer  and 
dismissal. 

§  IV.  Deacons,  in  good  standing,  may  be  dis¬ 
missed  bv  letter  from  the  jurisdiction  of  one  Bish¬ 
op  to  that  of  another,  or  to  the  ecclesiastical  au¬ 
thority  of  any  recognized  Christian  Church.  And 

Reception  from 
other  Churches. 

any  Bishop  may  receive  Deacons  by  letter,  or 
other  satisfactory  evidence,  from  other  Churches. 

16 

*  Amended  July,  1876. 


Of  Presbyters ,  and  their  Ordination. 


CANON  4. 

Of  Presbyters ,  and  their  Ordination . 

§  I.*  No  person  shall  be  ordained  a  Presbyter 
in  this  Church  until  he  shall  have  passed  a  satis¬ 
factory  examination  in  the  presence  of  a  Bishop 
and  two  Presbyters  of  this  Church.  The  exami¬ 
nation  shall  be  as  follows  :  On  the  books  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  the  candidate  being  required  to  give  an  ac¬ 
count  of  the  different  books ;  to  translate  from 
the  original  Greek  and  Hebrew,  and  to  explain 
such  passages  as  may  be  proposed  to  him  ;  on  the 
Evidences  of  Christianity ;  on  Systematic  Di¬ 
vinity;  on  Church  History,  and  Ecclesiastical 
Polity;  on  Pastoral  Theology,  and  on  the  Disci¬ 
pline  and  Worship  of  this  Church.  At  his  exam¬ 
ination,  he  shall  produce  and  read  a  sermon  or 
discourse  composed  by  himself  on  some  passage 
of  Scripture  previously  assigned  to  him,  which, 
together  with  two  other  sermons  or  discourses, 
on  some  passage  or  passages  of  Scripture  selected 
by  himself,  shall  be  submitted  to  the  criticisms  of 
the  Bishop  and  other  ministers  present.  He  shall 
also  be  examined  as  to  his  views  in  entering  the 
ministry  ;  and  he  must  further  be  able  to  show,  by 
his  past  labors,  that  he  is  calculated  to  be  useful  in 
ministerial  work.  The  Bishop  and  the  Standing 
Committee  shall  have  power,  in  the  case  of  any 
candidate,  to  dispense  with  a  knowledge  of  and  an 
examination  in  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  languages. 

§  II.  No  person  shall  be  ordained  a  Presbyter 
in  this  Church,  until  he  shall  have  produced  to 
the  Bishop  testimonials  from  the  Standing  Com¬ 
mittee  having  jurisdiction,  which  shall  be  signed 


Examination. 


Testimonials. 


IT 


_ 


♦  Amended  July,  1876. 


®itlc  I. 

CANON  5.  §  I. 

Concurrent  ac¬ 
tion  of  Bishop 
and  Standing 
Committee. 

Of  the  Reception  and  Dismissal  of  Presbyters. 

by  the  names  of  a  majority  of  all  the  Committee 
duly  convened,  and  shall  be  in  the  following 
words : 

“We,  whose  names  are  underwritten,  members  of  the  Stand- 

ing  Committee  of - ,  do  testify  that  A.  B.  hath  laid  before 

us  satisfactory  testimonials,  that  for  the  space  of  three  years 
last  past,  he  hath  lived  piously,  soberly,  and  honestly ;  and, 
moreover,  we  think  him  worthy  to  be  ordained  a  Presbyter  in 
the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church. 

“  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands,  this 
- day  of - ,  in  the  year  of  Our  Lord - 

§  III.  The  Bishop  to  whom  a  Standing  Com¬ 
mittee  shall  recommend  a  person  for  ordination 
to  the  office  of  a  Presbyter,  shall,  after  conduct¬ 
ing  the  examination  required  in  §  I.  of  this  Canon, 
return  the  recommendation  to  the  Standing  Com¬ 
mittee,  with  or  without  his  approval,  giving  in  the 
latter  case  his  reasons  therefor ;  and  the  Standing 
Committee  shall  then  take  a  final  vote  to  confer 
or  withhold  ordination,  counting  the  approval 
or  disapproval  of  the  Bishop  as  one  vote  for  or 
against  such  ordination. 

Reception  from 
other  Churches. 

CANON  5. 

Of  the  Reception  and  Dismissal  of  Presbyters. 

§  I.  Any  Presbyter  of  another  Church  may  be 
received  by  a  Bishop  and  Standing  Committee 
as  a  Presbyter  of  this  Church,  without  re-ordina- 

Testimonials. 

tion,  in  the  Form  set  forth  for  that  purpose;  Pro - 
vided ,  he  shall  produce  a  letter  dimissory  from 

18 

CANON  6. 

§  i.,  n. 

Of  Persons  not  Ministers  of  this  Church ,  etc. 

the  Church  with  which  he  was  formerly  con¬ 
nected,  or,  in  default  thereof,  satisfactory  evidence 
of  his  good  standing  and  religious  character,  and 
of  the  propriety  of  his  motives  in  leaving  the 
said  Church  ;  Provided ,  also,  that  he  give  ade¬ 
quate  proof,  by  examination  or  competent  testi¬ 
monials,  of  his  literary  and  theological  acquire¬ 
ments  (in  accordance  with  Canon  4,  §  I.,  of  this 
Title),  and  shall  have  signed  the  Declaration  con¬ 
tained  in  Article  VII.  of  the  Constitution  of  this 
Church. 

Examination. 

i 

Subscription. 

§  II.  Any  Presbyter  of  this  Church  in  good 
standing  may,  at  his  own  request,  be  dismissed 
to  unite  with  any  Christian  Church,  and  shall 
be  entitled  to  a  Dimissory  Letter,  signed  by  a 
Bishop  and  attested  by  the  Secretary  of  a  Stand¬ 
ing  Committee  of  this  Church. 

Dismissal. 

CANON  6. 

Of  persons  not  Ministers  of  this  Church  officiating 
in  any  congregation  thereof. 

§  I.  No  minister  in  charge  of  any  congregation 
of  this  Church,  or,  in  case  of  vacancy  or  absence, 
no  Wardens,  Vestrymen,  or  Trustees  of  the  con¬ 
gregation,  shall  permit  any  person,  professing  to 
be  a  Minister,  to  officiate  therein,  without  suffi¬ 
cient  evidence  of  his  being  a  duly  licensed  or  or¬ 
dained  Minister  of  the  Gospel. 

Protect  ion 
against  Im¬ 
postors. 

§  II.  No  person  shall  be  settled  as  Rector  or 

19 

&ttle  I. 

C  AN  0  N  Y.  §  I.,  II. 

Pastoral  Rela¬ 
tions. 

General  Regulation  of  Ministers  and  their  Duties . 

Minister  of  a  congregation  of  this  Church  until  he 
shall  have  been  duly  received  by  the  ecclesiastical 
authority,  and  shall  have  signed  the  Declaration 
contained  in  Article  VII.  of  the  Constitution  of 
this  Church. 

Pulpit  E  x- 
c flanges  with 
Ministers  0/ 
other  Church¬ 
es. 

§  III.*  Nothing  in  this  Canon  shall  be  under¬ 
stood  to  preclude  pulpit  exchanges  by  Ministers 
of  this  Church  with  Ministers  in  good  standing 
of  other  Evangelical  Churches,  or  as  prohibiting 
the  occasional  occupance  of  the  pulpits  of  this 
Church  by  such  Ministers  of  other  Churches. 

Election  to  a 
Pastoral 
Charge. 

CANON  Y. 

General  Regulation  of  Ministers  and  their  Duties. 

§  I.  On  the  election  of  a  Presbyter  as  the  Rec¬ 
tor  or  Minister  of  any  church  or  congregation  of 
this  Church,  the  Vestry  shall  give  notice  thereof 
to  the  Bishop  having  jurisdiction,  and  the  said 
Bishop,  or  some  Presbyter  appointed  by  him, 
may  proceed  to  install  him  according  to  the  Form 

Presbyters  0  f 
this ,  or  of 
other  Church¬ 
es ■,  Eligible. 

established  by  this  Church.  Any  Presbyter  in 
good  standing  may  be  elected  by  the  Wardens  and 
Vestrymen  of  any  congregation  of  this  Church 
as  the  Rector  of  the  said  church,  subject  to  the 
provisions  of  Canon  6,  §  II.,  of  this  Title. 

Notice  of  Epis¬ 
copal  Visita¬ 
tions. 

§  II.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  Minister  of 
this  Church  in  charge  of  a  congregation  to  give 
due  notice  to  his  congregation  of  an  Episcopal 

20 

visitation,  and  to  present  such  persons  as  are 

*  Amended  July,  1876. 


CANON  7  . 

§  III.— VI. 

General  Regulation  of  Ministers  and  their  Duties . 

ready  and  desirous  to  be  confirmed,  with  a  list 
of  their  names,  to  the  Bishop  who  may  hold  such 
visitation. 

§  III.  Every  Minister  of  this  Church  shall  keep 
a  Register  of  Baptisms,  Confirmations,  receptions 
by  letter  from  other  Churches,  communicants, 
marriages,  and  burials,  with  a  list  (as  far  as  prac¬ 
ticable)  of  the  families  within  his  charge,  which 
Register  shall  be  the  property  of  the  parish,  and 
be  preserved  for  the  use  of  his  successor. 

§  IV.*  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  Minister 
of  this  Church,  with  such  assistance  as  he  may 
see  fit  to  employ  from  persons  skilled  in  Music, 
to  give  order  concerning  the  tunes  to  be  sung  at 
any  time  in  his  church  ;  and  especially  it  shall  be 
his  duty  to  suppress  all  light  and  unseemly  music, 
and  all  indecency  and  irreverence  in  the  perform¬ 
ance,  by  which  vain  and  ungodly  persons  profane 
the  service  of  the  Sanctuary. 

§  V.  If  any  Minister  of  this  Church,  from  in¬ 
ability  or  any  other  cause,  neglect  to  perform  his 
duties  in  the  church  or  congregation,  and  refuse, 
without  good  cause,  to  permit  any  other  properly 
qualified  Minister  to  perform  such  duties,  the 
Church  Wardens,  Vestrymen,  or  Trustees  of  such 
congregation  shall,  with  the  written  consent  of  the 
proper  ecclesiastical  authority,  have  power  to  open 
the  doors  of  their  church  to  any  Minister  properly 
qualified  according  to  the  Canons  of  this  Church. 

§  VI.  A  pastoral  connection  in  this  Church  may, 
at  any  time,  be  terminated  by  the  consent  of  both 
parties,  or  by  the  decision  of  a  Bishop  and  Stand¬ 
ing  Committee  having  jurisdiction,  on  the  appeal 

Church  R  egis- 
ter. 

Church  Music. 

Provision  for 
Neglect  of 
Ministerial 
Duty. 

Termination  of 
a  Pastoral  Re¬ 
lation. 

21 

*  §  IV.  added,  and  the  remaining  sections  renumbered,  May,  1878. 


Qlitlc  I.  CANON  8.  §  I.— III. 


R  ight  of  A  fifteal 
to  the  General 
Council. 

Of  Bishops. 

by  one  party,  after  giving  due  notice  to  the  other 
party.  And,  in  case  either  party  refuse  to  abide 
by  such  decision,  such  party  shall  forfeit  the  right, 
if  a  Presbyter,  of  a  seat  and  a  vote  in  the  General 
Council,  or  in  a  Synod,  or  if  Wardens  and  Vestry¬ 
men,  of  having  their  congregations  represented 
in  the  same  ;  but  in  either  case,  the  party  shall 
in  other  respects  be  amenable  to  the  ecclesiasti¬ 
cal  authority,  as  if  this  forfeiture  had  not  been 
incurred  ;  Provided ,  that  either  party  shall  have 
the  right  of  appeal  to  the  final  decision  of  the 
ensuing  General  Council. 

Missiona  r y 
Bishops. 

CANON  '8. 

Of  Bishops. 

§  I.  Any  Presbyter  of  this  Church  in  good 
standing  may  be  elected  as  a  Missionary  Bishop 
by  the  concurrent  vote  of  both  orders,  clerical 
and  lay,  in  any  meeting  of  the  General  Council. 

Bishops  of 
Synods. 

§  II.*  Any  Synod,  duly  organized  according  to 
the  Constitution  of  this  Church,  may  elect  (in  the 
manner  specified  in  §  I.  of  this  Canon)  a  Presbyter 
as  the  Bishop  of  said  Synod,  but  such  Bishop-elect 
shall  not  be  consecrated  until  his  election  by  a 
Synod  has  been  confirmed  by  the  General  Council. 

Testimonials. 

§  III.  Every  Bishop-elect  before  his  consecra¬ 
tion  shall  produce  to  the  Bishop-presiding,  evi¬ 
dence  of  such  election,  or  confirmation  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  General  Council ;  and  from  the 
clerical  members  and  Lay  Deputies  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Council,  or  of  the  Synod  electing  him,  evi¬ 
dence  of  their  approval  of  his  testimonials,  and 
of  their  assent  to  his  consecration  ;  such  certifi- 

22 

*  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


CANON  8. 

§  IV.,  V. 

Of  Bishops. 

cate  to  be  signed  by  a  constitutional  majority  of 
the  members  of  the  Council  or  Synod  electing. 
The  certificate  shall  be  in  the  following  form : 

“  We,  whose  names  are  underwritten,  fully  sensible  how  im¬ 
portant  it  is  that  the  office  of  a  Bishop  should  not  be  unworth¬ 
ily  conferred,  and  firmly  persuaded  that  it  is  our  duty  to  bear 
testimony  on  this  solemn  occasion,  without  partiality  or  affec¬ 
tion,  do,  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God,  testify  that  A.  B. 
is  not,  so  far  as  we  are  informed,  justly  liable  to  evil  report, 
either  for  error  in  religion  or  for  viciousness  of  life,  and  that 
we  do  not  know  or  believe  there  is  any  impediment,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  which  he  ought  not  to  be  consecrated  to  that  office. 
We  do,  moreover,  jointly  and  severally,  declare  that  we  do, 
in  our  conscience,  believe  him  to  be  of  such  sufficiency  in  good 
learning,  such  soundness  in  the  faith,  and  of  such  virtuous  and 
pure  manners,  and  godly  conversation,  that  he  is  apt  and  meet 
to  exercise  the  office  of  a  Bishop,  to  the  honor  of  God  and  the 
edifying  of  His  Church,  and  to  be  a  wholesome  example  to  the 
flock  of  Christ.” 

If  the  General  Council  has  consented  to  the 
consecration,  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  this  Church, 
or  some  other  Bishop  designated  by  him,  together 
with  three  or  more  Presbyters,  and  such  other 
Bishops  and  Presbyters  of  this  or  of  other 
Churches,  as  he  may  invite,  shall  proceed  to  per¬ 
form  the  same  according  to  the  Form  established 
by  this  Church. 

Consecration. 

§  IV.  No  man  shall  be  consecrated  a  Bishop 
in  this  Church  until  he  shall  be  thirty  years  old. 

Lawful  Age. 

§  V.  Any  Bishop  of  another  Church  may  be 
elected  a  Missionary  Bishop  of  this  Church  by 
the  vote  of  the  General  Council ;  or  as  the  Bishop 

Eligibility  of 
Bishops  of 
other  Churches . 

23 

ftitlc  I. 


CANON  8. 


VI.-VIII. 


Of  Bishops . 


of  a  Synod,  by  the  vote  of  that  Synod,  subject  to 
confirmation  by  the  General  Council ;  but  no 
such  Bishop  shall  be  permitted  to  assume  the 
duties  of  the  office  to  which  he  has  been  thus 
elected  until  he  shall  have  signed  the  Declara¬ 
tion  contained  in  Article  VII.  of  the  Constitution 
of  this  Church,  and  shall  have  been  duly  received 
by  the  ecclesiastical  authority,  on  letters  dimis- 
sory,  or  other  satisfactory  evidence. 

Eligibility  to  §  VI.  Any  Bishop  of  this  Church  may  be  elected 

Vacant  Synods.  .  ^ 

the  Bishop  of  a  vacant  Synod,  by  a  vote  ol  that 
Synod,  subject  to  confirmation  by  the  General 
Council ;  and  if  he  be  a  Missionary  Bishop  of  this 
Church,  he  shall  continue  to  discharge  his  Mis¬ 
sionary  Episcopate  until  the  General  Council 
shall  have  confirmed  the  Synodical  election, 
whereupon  his  functions  as  a  Missionary  Bishop 
shall  cease. 


Resignation  of 
Jurisdiction. 


Bishops  may 
be  dismissed  to 
other  Churches. 


24 


§  VII.  Any  Missionary  Bishop  or  Bishop  of  a 
Synod  in  good  standing,  may,  with  the  consent 
of  the  General  Council,  resign  his  jurisdiction  ; 
in  which  case  he  shall  perform  Episcopal  acts 
only  at  the  request  of  other  Bishops,  or  of  the 
General  Council ;  and  he  shall  retain  his  seat 
and  be  entitled  to  a  vote  in  the  General  Council, 
and  be  amenable  to  the  authority  thereof. 

§  VIII.  Any  Bishop  of  this  Church,  in  good 
standing,  who  may  desire  to  withdraw  from  the 
communion  thereof,  shall  be  furnished  with  a  Let¬ 
ter  Dimissory  from  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  this 
Church. 


CANON  8  . 

§  IX.-XII. 

Of  Bishops. 

§  IX.'"  Every  Missionary  Bishop  may  yearly 
appoint  two  or  more  Presbyters,  and  two  or  more 
laymen  communicants  of  this  Church,  belonging 
to  his  jurisdiction,  to  perform  the  duties  of  a 
Standing  Committee,  and  he  shall  report  to  each 
General  Council  his  proceedings,  and  the  state 
and  condition  of  the  congregations  under  his 
Episcopal  care. 

Standing  Com¬ 
mittees  in 
Missionary 
Jurisdiction. 

1 

§  X.  Every  Bishop  of  this  Church  shall  visit 
the  churches  and  congregations  within  his  juris¬ 
diction,  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  state  of 
the  congregation,  and  performing  such  duties  as 
pertain  to  his  office  ;  and  it  is  recommended  that 
every  Bishop  deliver,  at  least  once  in  three  years, 
a  charge  to  the  Ministers  and  congregations  of 
his  jurisdiction.  The  expenses  of  an  Episcopal 
visitation  shall  be  defrayed  by  the  congregation 
for  whose  benefit  the  visitation  is  made ;  and,  in 
order  to  enable  a  Bishop  who  may  be  rector  of 
a  church  to  perform  his  Episcopal  visitations,  his 
congregation  shall  see  that  the  pulpit  is  properly 
supplied  in  his  absence. 

Episcopal  Visit¬ 
ations. 

§  XL  It  is  the  duty  of  every  Bishop  of  this 
Church  to  reside  within  his  own  jurisdiction, 
unless  excused  from  so  doing  by  a  vote  of  the 
General  Council. 

Residence  with¬ 
in  Jurisdiction. 

§  XII.  The  Missionary  Bishops  of  this  Church, 
duly  elected  and  consecrated,  shall  exercise  their 
Episcopal  office  in  such  districts  in  states,  terri¬ 
tories,  or  countries,  as  the  General  Council,  act¬ 
ing  in  accordance  with  the  Constitution  and  Can- 

Extent  of  Ju¬ 
risdiction. 

25 

*  Amended  May,  1877. 


®itle  I.  CANON  9 .  §  I. 


The  Presid  i  ng 
Bishop  to  pro¬ 
vide  /or  Va¬ 
cant  Juris¬ 
dictions. 

Of  a  List  of  Ministers  of  this  Church ,  etc. 

ons  of  this  Church,  may  prescribe ;  and  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Council  may,  at  any  time,  increase  or  dimin¬ 
ish  the  extent  of  the  district  over  which  the  said 
Bishops  shall  have  jurisdiction. 

§  XIII.  In  case  of  the  death  or  resignation  of  a 
Missionary  Bishop,  or  vacancy  by  other  cause, 
the  oversight  of  the  vacant  jurisdiction  shall  de¬ 
volve  on  the  Presiding  Bishop  of  this  Church, 
with  the  power  of  appointing  some  other  Bishop 
as  his  substitute  in  said  oversight. 

Registry. 

CANON  9. 

Of  a  List  of  Ministers  of  this  Church ,  etc. 

§  I.  The  Secretary  of  the  General  Council  shall 
keep  a  register  of  all  the  Ministers  of  this  Church, 
whose  names  shall  be  delivered  to  him  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  manner,  that  is  to  say :  Every  Bishop  of 
this  Church,  or  where  there  is  no  Bishop,  the 
Standing  Committee,  shall  at  the  time  of  every 
General  Council,  deliver,  or  cause  to  be  delivered, 
to  the  said  Secretary,  a  list  of  the  names  of  all  the 
Ministers  of  this  Church  in  their  proper  jurisdic¬ 
tions,  annexing  the  names  of  their  respective 
charges,  or  of  their  stations  in  any  colleges  or 
other  seminaries  of  learning ;  or,  in  regard  to 
those  who  have  not  any  charges  or  other  stations, 
their  places  of  residence  only  ;  and  also  with  par¬ 
ticulars  of  time  and  place,  of  all  Ministers  belong¬ 
ing  to  their  jurisdiction,  who  have  been  ordained, 
or  received  from  other  Churches,  or  who  have 

26 

CANON  10. 

Of  Editions  of  the  Prayer-Book. 

resigned,  or  died,  or  may  have  been  subjected  to 
discipline,  since  the  preceding  General  Council; 
and  the  said  list  shall,  from  time  to  time,  be  pub¬ 
lished  in  the  journals  of  the  General  Council. 

§  II.  Every  Minister  of  this  Church,  or  if  the 
charge  be  vacant,  the  Wardens  shall  annually 
present  to  the  Bishop,  or  in  his  absence,  to  the 
Standing  Committee  of  the  jurisdiction,  a  state¬ 
ment  of  the  number  of  Baptisms,  receptions  to 
the  Communion  by  confirmation  or  otherwise, 
communicants,  marriages,  burials,  number  of 
Sunday-schools  and  scholars,  amount  of  benevo¬ 
lent,  religious,  and  parochial  contributions,  and 
such  other  matters  as  may  throw  light  on  the 
state  of  the  congregation  ;  and  Ministers  without 
charge  shall  report  to  the  same  ecclesiastical  au¬ 
thority  any  official  acts  they  may  have  performed. 
An  abstract  of  such  statements  shall  be  presented 
annually  to  the  General  Council  by  the  Bishop 
having  jurisdiction,  or  in  his  absence,  by  the 
Standing  Committee. 

Reports  on  the 
State  of  the 
churches. 

CANON  10. 

Of  Editions  of  the  Prayer-Book. 

§  I.  The  General  Council  shall  annually  appoint 
one  or  more  Presbyters  of  this  Church  in  each 
Missionary  or  Synodical  jurisdiction  thereof,  who 
shall  compare  with  and  correct  all  editions  of 
the  Prayer-Book,  the  Articles  and  Offices  of  this 
Church,  by  the  standard  Book  that  may  have 

To  Prevent  the 
Issue  of  Un¬ 
authorized 
editions. 

27 

28 


Of  the  Use  of  the  Prayer-Book. 


been  set  forth  by  the  General  Council ;  and  a 
certificate  of  such  comparison  and  correction 
shall  accompany  each  edition.  And  in  case  any 
edition  shall  be  published  without  such  correc¬ 
tion,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Presiding  Bishop 
of  this  Church  to  give  public  notice  that  such 
edition  is  not  authorized  by  this  Church. 


CANON  11. 

Of  the  Due  Celebration  of  Sundays. 

§  I.  All  persons  within  this  Church  shall  cele¬ 
brate  and  keep  the  Lord’s  day,  commonly  called 
Sunday,  in  hearing  the  Word  of  God  read  and 
taught,  in  private  and  public  prayer,  in  other 
exercises  of  devotion,  and  in  acts  of  charity, 
using  all  godly  and  sober  conversation. 


CANON  12. 

Of  the  Use  of  the  Prayer-Book. 

§  I.  On  occasions  of  public  worship,  invariably 
on  the  morning  of  the  Lord’s  day,  commonly 
called  Sunday,  and  at  other  times  at  the  discre¬ 
tion  of  the  Minister,  the  Prayer-Book  set  forth 
at  any  time  by  the  General  Council  is  to  be  used 
in  the  congregations  of  this  Church;  Provided , 
that  nothing  in  this  Canon  is  to  be  understood 
as  precluding  extempore  prayer  before  or  after 
sermons,  or  on  emergent  occasions. 


CANON  13. 


Of  the  Consecration  of  Churches. 


§  II.  Congregations  in  the  Dominion  of  Can¬ 
ada,  and  in  other  countries,  shall  have  liberty  to 
insert  such  prayers  and  versicles  in  the  Service 
as  are  most  accordant  with  their  respective  forms 
of  civil  government;  and  such  prayers  for  those 
in  authority  may  take  the  place  of  those  in  use 
in  the  United  States;  Provided,  that  no  printed 
matter  shall  be  inserted  in  the  printed  Morning 
Service,  until  it  has  been  approved  by  the  Stand¬ 
ing  Committee  on  Doctrine  and  Worship  of  the 
General  Council. 


CANON  13. 

Of  the  Consecration  of  Churches. 

§  I.  No  church  or  chapel  shall  be  consecrated 
until  the  building  and  ground  on  which  it  is 
erected  have  been  fully  paid  for,  and  are  free 
from  lien  or  other  encumbrance. 


Qlitlc  II.  CANON  1.  §  I.— III. 


Special  Meet¬ 
ings. 

II. 

OF  THE  ORGANIZED  BODIES  OF  THIS  CHURCH. 

CANON  1. 

Of  the  General  Council. 

§  I.  Special  meetings  of  the  General  Council 
shall  be  called  by  the  Presiding  Bishop  (or,  in 
case  of  his  death  or  absence,  by  the  Secretary), 
on  the  written  request  of  at  least  six  clerical  and 
six  lay  members  thereof,  specifying  the  object  or 
objects  of  such  special  meeting. 

S'ditnc  Deputies. 

§  II.  The  Deputies  elected  to  the  preceding 
General  Council,  shall  be  the  Deputies  at  such 
special  meeting;  unless  other  Deputies  shall  have 
been  chosen  in  the  meantime  by  any  of  the  con¬ 
gregations,  and  then  such  other  Deputies  shall 
represent  the  congregations  by  whom  they  have 
been  chosen. 

Secretary. 

§  III.  The  Secretary  of  the  General  Council 
shall  be  chosen  by  ballot;  and  shall  have  power 
to  appoint,  with  the  approval  of  the  General 

A  ssistants. 

Council,  such  number  of  assistants  as  may  be 
necessary  to  conduct  the  business  entrusted  to 
him.  In  addition  to  the  duties  which  usually 

30 

CANON  1. 

§  IV.,  V. 

Of  the  General  Council. 

pertain  to  his  office,  he  shall  preserve  and  file  all 
Papers,  Documents,  Reports,  etc.,  relating  to  the 
business  of  the  General  Council,  that  may  come 
into  his  possession.  He  shall  also  keep  a  Record 
of  the  consecration  of  Bishops  in  this  Church, 
designating  therein  the  time  and  place  of  the 
same,  with  the  names  of  the  Bishops  and  Presby¬ 
ters  of  this  and  of  other  Churches  who  officiate 
at  such  consecration.  The  necessary  expenses 
incurred  by  the  Secretary,  shall  be  provided  for 
by  vote  of  the  General  Council,  and  defrayed  by 
the  Treasurer  of  the  same. 

§  IV.  At  each  annual  meeting  of  the  General 
Council,  a  Treasurer,  who  shall  be  a  layman  and 
a  Communicant  of  this  Church,  shall  be  elected 
by  ballot.  He  shall  remain  in  office  until  the 
close  of  the  next  annual  meeting,  and  until  a  suc¬ 
cessor  be  elected.  It  shall  be  h,is  duty  to  receive 
and  disburse  all  moneys  collected  under  the  au¬ 
thority  of  the  General  Council,  and  of  which  the 
collection  and  disbursement  shall  not  otherwise 
be  regulated.  His  account  shall  be  rendered  an¬ 
nually  to  the  General  Council,  and  shall  be  au¬ 
dited  by  a  committee  acting  under  its  authority. 
In  case  of  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  Treasurer, 
the  President  of  the  General  Council  shall  ap¬ 
point  a  suitable  person  to  serve  until  the  succeed¬ 
ing  annual  Council. 

Treasurer. 

Duties. 

) 

Vacancy  ;  ho  n> 
filled. 

§  V.  The  contingent  expenses  of  the  General 
Council  shall  be  defrayed  by  assessments  upon  the 
several  congregations  of  this  Church,  said  assess- 

E x  £ e  ns  e  s  ofi 
General  Coun¬ 
cil. 

31 

fcitle  II.  C  AN  O  N  1  .  §  VI.,  VII. 


Committees. 

Of  the  General  Council. 

ments  to  be  made  annually  by  the  Finance  Com¬ 
mittee,  and  authorized  by  the  General  Council. 

§  VI.  At  each  annual  meeting,  there  shall  be 
‘chosen  by  ballot,  the  following  Committees,  to 
serve  until  the  close  of  the  ensuing  annual  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  General  Council,  viz.  : 

Executive  Com¬ 
mittee. 

[i.]*  An  Executive  Committee ,  consisting  of  five 
Presbyters  and  five  laymen  ;  who  shall  be  a  Coun¬ 
cil  of  Advice  to  the  Presiding  Bishop,  and  have 
such  powers  and  perform  such  duties  as  generally 
pertain  to  Standing  Committees  under  Episcopal 
organizations,  or  may  be  committed  or  assigned 
to  them  by  the  General  Council. 

On  Doctrine 
and  Worship. 

[2.]  A  Committee  on  Doctrine  and  Worship ,  con¬ 
sisting  of  three  Presbyters  and  three  laymen  ;  to 
whom  shall  be  referred  all  alterations  of,  or  addi¬ 
tions  to,  the  Prayer-book,  Offices,  or  Articles  of 
Religion  of  this  Church. 

Constitution 
and  Canons. 

[3.]  A  Committee  on  Constitution  and  Canons, 
consisting  of  three  Presbyters  and  three  laymen  ; 
to  whom  shall  be  referred  all  alterations  of,  or 
additions  to,  the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  this 
Church. 

On  finance. 

[4.]  A  Committee  on  Finance ,  consisting  of  three 
laymen  ;  who  shall  perform  the  duties  usually 
pertaining  to  such  a  Committee. 

Quorum. 

In  the  meetings  of  any  of  the  above  Commit¬ 
tees,  a  majority  of  all  the  members  shall  consti¬ 
tute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business. 
They  shall  keep  a  record  of  their  proceedings, 
and  report  the  same  from  time  to  time  to  the 
General  Council. 

General  Com¬ 
mittee. 

32 

§  VII.  The  Bishops  of  this  Church,  together 

_ 


*  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


CANON  2. 


I.— III. 


Trustees  of  the  Sustentation  Fund. 


with  the  officers  elected  annually  (under  Title 
II.,  Canon  1,  §  VI.),  shall  together  form  a  Gen¬ 
eral  Committee,  to  hold  their  offices  as  members 
of  such  Committee  until  the  adjournment  of  the 
General  Council  at  the  succeeding  annual  meet¬ 
ing,  and  during  the  recess  to  consult  respecting 
the  general  interests  of  this  Church,  and  to  have 
such  powers  and  duties  as  may  from  time  to 
time  be  committed  to  them  by  the  General 
Council. 


CANON  2. 

Trustees  of  the  Sustentation  Fund. 

§  I.  At  each  Annual  Council  live  laymen  shall 
be  elected  by  ballot,  to  constitute  a  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Sustentation  Fund  of  this  Church. 

§  II.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  such  Trustees  to 
take  charge  of  all  contributions  which  may  be 
made  to  them,  and  accompanied  by  designation 
from  the  donors  thereof,  for  any  or  either  of  the 
purposes  herein  specified,  viz: 

[i.]  For  the  present  support  of  any  Bishop  or 
other  Minister  of  this  Church. 

[2.]  For  investment,  the  interest  or  proceeds 
to  be  applied  to  such  present  support. 

[3.]  For  the  assistance  of  feeble  congregations, 
or  for  the  furtherance  of  Missionary  work  where 
there  are  no  organized  congregations. 

§  III.  All  contributions,  the  disposition  of  which 
may  not  have  been  designated  by  the  donors, 


33 


- 3 - - 

®ttle  II.  CANONS  3,4.  §  I. 


Of  Congregations. 

1 

shall  be  applied  by  the  said  Board  of  Trustees 
for  the  above-named  objects,  until  the  direction 
of  the  General  Council  in  the  premises. 

§  IV.  The  Board  of  Trustees,  thus  constituted, 
shall  choose  from  their  own  number  a  Treasurer, 
and  shall  make  an  annual  report  to  the  General 
Council  of  all  their  receipts  and  disbursements 
during  the  year. 

Ini  orporation. 

§  V.  The  Trustees  of  the  Sustentation  Fund 
are  hereby  empowered  to  procure  an  Act  of  In¬ 
corporation,  for  the  purposes  and  objects  speci¬ 
fied  in  this  Canon. 

CANON  3. 

Of  Synods. 

(Preparation  deferred  until  the  next  General 
Council.) 

Boundaries  de¬ 
fined. 

CANON  4. 

Of  Congregations. 

§  1.*  The  boundaries  of  a  parish,  or  congrega¬ 
tion,  in  this  Church,  are  not  geographical ;  a 
parish  or  congregation  consists  of  all  the  persons 
enrolled  as  Communicants  or  stated  worshippers 
in  that  congregation,  and  who,  in  a  greater  or 

Who  may  vote. 

34 

lesser  degree,  contribute  to  its  support.  All  such 
persons,  being  of  full  age,  are  entitled  to  vote  for 

- - - — i — - - - - 

*  Amended  May,  1871 . 


CANON  4. 

§  II.-IV. 

Of  Congregations. 

Wardens  and  Vestrymen;  but  only  Communi¬ 
cants  thereof  can  vote  for  Deputies  to  the  General 
Council,  and  for  the  Parish  Council. 

§  II.  Persons  belonging  to  this  Church  may 
organize  as  a  church  or  congregation — in  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  provisions  of  the  civil  law  in  the 
State,  Territory,  or  Country,  in  which  they  re¬ 
side ;  but  such  church  or  congregation,  before 
being  entitled  to  representation  in  the  General 
Council,  shall  be  required  to  recognize  and  accede 
to  the  Constitution,  Canons,  Doctrine,  Discipline, 
and  Worship  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church. 

Members  of  this 
Church  may 
organize  as  a 
congregation. 

§  III.*  Any  congregation  of  another  Church 
that  may  desire  to  be  received  into  union  with 
this  Church,  shall  declare  its  desire  therefor,  duly 
certified  by  the  authorities  of  the  said  congrega¬ 
tion  ;  which  certificate,  together  with  a  declara¬ 
tion  of  agreement  with  the  Doctrine,  Discipline, 
and  Worship  of  this  Church,  shall  be  submitted 
to  the  General  Council  during  its  Session,  or  to 
the  Presiding  Bishop  and  Executive  Committee 
at  any  time  ;  and  in  case  the  same  are  found  satis¬ 
factory  by  the  General  Council,  or  by  the  Pre¬ 
siding  Bishop  and  Executive  Committee  acting 
during  the  recess,  such  Church  or  congregation 
shall  be  received,  and  a  record  shall  be  made  of 
the  fact  that  it  has  become  a  constituent  part  of 
this  Church. 

A  dmission  of 
Co  ngrega  tions 
from  other 
Churches. 

§  IV.  The  consent  of  a  Minister,  or  of  the 
Wardens  and  Vestrymen  of  an  organized  congre- 

No  consent  of 
o  r  g  a  n  i  z  e  d 
Churches  re¬ 
quired. 

35 

»  *  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


Otitic  II. 


CANON  4. 


V.-VII. 


Annual  Elec¬ 
tions. 


Wardens  and 
Deputies  to  be 
Com  m  u  n  ica  n  is. 


Parish  Council: 
their  duties. 


Offerings  to 
Sustentation 
Fund. 


36 


Of  Congregations. 

gation  of  this  Church,  is  not  a  prerequisite  to  the 
formation  of  another  congregation  of  this  Church 
in  the  same  vicinity. 

§  V.  In  each  congregation,  annually,  during 
Easter-week,  or  on  some  other  convenient  occa¬ 
sion,  an  election  shall  be  held  for  Wardens,  Ves¬ 
trymen,  and  Deputies  to  the  General  Council. 
The  Wardens  and  Deputies  shall  be  chosen  from 
among  the  Communicants,  and  when  practicable 
the  Vestrymen  also;  in  any  case  the  Wardens, 
and  Vestrymen,  and  Deputies,  shall  be  men  of 
unimpeachable  moral  character;  and  it  is  recom¬ 
mended  that  the  Vestrymen  be  so  chosen  that 
one-third  of  their  entire  number  shall  be  elected 
each  year. 

§  VI.*  In  each  Parish,  the  Communicants  duly 
enrolled  as  members,  shall  annually,  during  Easter- 
week,  or  on  some  other  convenient  occasion,  elect 
two  or  more  Communicants  as  a  Parish  Council; 
who  shall  be  the  special  advisers  of  their  Minister 
in  the  Spiritual  government  of  the  Parish,  and 
shall  be  associated  with  him  in  the  reception, 
dismission,  or  discipline  of  church  members. 

§  VH.f  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Wardens 
and  Vestrymen  of  every  Church  represented  in 
the  General  Council,  previous  to  each  meeting 
thereof,  to  instruct  their  Deputies  what  amount 
they  may  pledge  on  behalf  of  the  Church  they 
represent,  as  its  contribution  to  the  Sustentation 
Fund. 


*  Amended  May,  1877. 


t  Added  May,  1877. 


CANONS  1,  2. 

§  I. 

1 

Sitlf  HI. 

OF  DISCIPLINE. 

CANON  1. 

Of  Discipline  in  General. 

§  I.  The  objects  of  Christian  discipline  are  the 
removal  of  offences,  the  vindication  of  the  truth, 
the  promotion  of  purity  and  harmony  in  the 
Church,  and  the  benefit  of  the  offender. 

Objects  of  Dis¬ 
cipline. 

§  II.  Discipline  may  be  exercised  with  refer¬ 
ence  to  either  spiritual  or  ecclesiastical  offences ; 
in  the  former  case,  nothing  shall  be  admitted  as 
matter  of  accusation  which  cannot  be  proved  to 
be  such  from  Holy  Scripture;  in  the  latter  case, 
nothing  shall  be  admitted  as  matter  of  accusation 
which  cannot  be  proved  to  be  a  violation  of  the 
regulations  of  this  Church. 

Two  Classes  of 
Discipline. 

Spiritual. 

Ecclesiastical. 

CANON  2. 

Of  Offences. 

§  I.  Bishops,  Presbyters,  Deacons,  and  Candi¬ 
dates  for  the  Ministry  in  this  Church,  shall  be 

L-  - 

Ministers. 

37 

<HtlC  III.  CANON  3.  §1. 


Communicants. 

\ 

Ecclesiastical  Courts . 

liable  to  trial  and  discipline,  for  any  of  the  follow¬ 
ing  offences,  viz : 

[i.]  Any  moral  or  spiritual  offence,  for  which  a  lay 
communicant  of  this  Church  would  be  amenable 
to  discipline. 

[2.]  Holding-  or  teaching-  any  doctrine  condemned  by 
this  Church,  or  contrary  to  its  doctrinal  Stand¬ 
ards. 

[3.]  If  Bishops,  or  other  Ministers,  refusing  to  comply 
with  the  terms  of  the  Declaration  contained  in 
Article  VII.  of  the  Constitution  of  this  Church ; 
or,  if  Candidates  for  the  Ministry,  refusing  to  act 
in  accordance  with  the  regulations  of  this  Church. 

§  II.  Any  Communicant  of  this  Church  shall 
be  liable  to  trial  and  discipline  for  either  of  the 
following  offences,  viz : 

[1.]  Denial  of  the  Faith. 

[2.]  A  walk  or  conversation  unworthy  of  a  Christian 
profession. 

Private  Offen¬ 
ces. 

§  III.  In  all  cases  of  private  offences,  the  offend¬ 
er  shall  be  dealt  with  in  accordance  with  the 
mode  divinely  prescribed  in  Matthew  xviii.  15-17. 

For  Bishops  or 
Presbyters. 

CANON  3. 

Ecclesiastical  Courts. 

§  I.  The  Court  for  the  trial  of  a  Bishop  or  a 
Presbyter,  shall  consist  of  an  equal  number  of 

Bishops  and  Presbyters,  viz: - of  each, 

to  be  chosen  by  lot  from  the  Bishops  and  Presby¬ 
ters  of  this  Church  ;  excluding  all  related  to  the 
accused  or  accusers  by  ties  of  consanguinity. 

88 

.. 

Accusation  and  Trial. 


§  II.  The  Court  for  the  trial  of  a  Deacon,  or 
of  a  Candidate  for  the  Ministry,  shall  be  the 
Bishop  and  Clerical  members  of  the  Standing- 
Committee  having  jurisdiction  ;  excluding  all  re¬ 
lated  by  ties  of  consanguinity.  If  the  Bishop 
having  jurisdiction  be  so  related,  another  Bishop 
of  this  Church,  chosen  by  lot,  shall  preside. 


Deacons  or  Can¬ 
didates  for  the 
Ministry. 


§  III.45,  The  Court  for  the  trial  of  a  Communi¬ 
cant,  shall  consist  of  the  Rector  or  Minister,  and 
the  Parish  Council,  of  the  Congregation  to  which 
such  communicant  shall  belong. 


Co?nrnunicants. 


CANON  4. 

Accusation  and  Trial. 

§  I.  The  proceedings  shall  commence  by 
charges  in  writing;  to  be  signed,  in  case  the 
accused  be  a  Bishop  or  Presbyter,  by  five  male 
communicants  of  this  Church,  in  good  standing, 
of  whom  two,  at  least,  must  be  Presbyters ;  in 
case  the  accused  be  a  Deacon  or  Candidate  for 
the  Ministry,  by  three  male  communicants  of 
this  Church,  of  whom  one  must  be  a  Presbyter ; 
and  in  case  the  accused  be  a  lay  Communicant 
of  this  Church,  by  two  persons,  of  whom  one 
must  be  a  Communicant  of  this  Church.  No 
charges  shall  be  made  when  a  longer  period  than 
five  years  has  elapsed  since  the  date  of  the  al¬ 
leged  offence. 

§  II.  The  proper  person  to  whom  charges  are 


Charges;  how 
made. 


Limitation  of 
Time. 


39 


i 


J 


*  Amended  May,  1877. 


£|tlC  III.  CANON  4.  §  III.-VI. 

Accusation  and  Trial. 

To  whom  Char¬ 
ges  are  to  be 
presented. 

to  be  presented,  and  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to 
take  the  necessary  steps  under  these  Canons,  is, 
in  the  case  of  a  Bishop  or  a  Presbyter,  the  pre¬ 
siding  Bishop  of  this  Church  ;  in  the  case  of  a 
Deacon  or  Candidate  for  the  Ministry,  the  Bish¬ 
op  having  jurisdiction  ;  and  in  the  case  of  a  Com¬ 
municant,  the  Rector  or  Minister  of  the  congre¬ 
gation  to  which  the  accused  belongs. 

Charges  to  be 
openly  Sup¬ 
ported. 

§  III.  The  persons  making  these  charges  or  ac¬ 
cusations,  shall  be  required  to  come  forward  and 
openly  support  such  charges  or  accusations. 

Counsel. 

§  IV.  Whenever  charges  are  formally  made  in 
the  mode  above-mentioned,  the  accusers  may 
select  a  Minister  or  a  lay  Communicant  of  this 
Church  to  act  as  their  adviser,  advocate,  and 
agent,  in  preparing  the  accusation,  proofs,  etc. ; 
or  they  rri ay  prepare  such  charges  themselves; 
and,  in  either  case,  the  time,  place,  and  circum¬ 
stances  of  the  alleged  offence  must  be  specified. 
The  accused  party  may  also  be  represented  by 
counsel. 

Citation. 

§  V.  A  copy  of  the  accusation,  with  a  citation 
to  appear  and  answer  to  the  charge,  shall  be 
transmitted  to  the  accused  at  least  thirty  days 
before  the  trial ;  and  the  citation  shall  be  accom¬ 
panied  with  a  notice  that,  if  the  accused  fail  to 
appear,  either  in  person  or  by  counsel,  the  trial 
will  proceed  as  though  he  or  his  counsel  were 
present. 

Testimony. 

40 

— 

§  VI.  The  trial  shall  be  impartially  conducted  ; 

CAN  O  N  4.  §  VII..  VIII. 


Accusation  and  Trial . 


and  no  testimony  shall  be  received  except  from 
witnesses  who  have  signed  a  Declaration  in  the 
following  words : 

“  I,  A.  B.,  a  witness  summoned  to  testify  on  the  trial  of 

- - ,  a  [Communicant ,  Candidate  for 

the  Ministry ,  Deacon,  Presbyter,  or  Bishop,  as  the 
case  may  be],  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church, 
now  pending,  do  solemnly  affirm,  that  the  evidence  I 
am  about  to  give,  shall  be  the  truth,  the  whole  truth, 
and  nothing  but  the  truth.” 


The  testimony  of  each  witness  shall  be  reduced 
to  writing,  by  a  clerk  or  clerks  chosen  by  the 
Court  for  that  purpose.  A  deposition  before  the 
proper  civil  officer,  may  be  presented  by  any 
witness  absolutely  prevented  from  giving  evi¬ 
dence  in  person. 

§  VII.  After  the  allegations  and  proof  of  the 
accusers  shall  have  been  heard,  and  also  the  an¬ 
swers  of  the  respondent  thereto,  the  Court  shall 
deliberately  consider  the  evidence  and  the  an¬ 
swers  thereto,  and  give  their  decision  on  the 
several  specifications  and  charges.  A  majority 
vote  shall  be  necessary  to  a  conviction  on  any 
specification. 


Decision  of  the 
Court. 


§  VIII.  Before  sentence  is  passed,  the  accused 
shall  have  the  opportunity  of  being  heard,  and 
shall  be  informed  of-  his  or  her  right  to  appeal  to 
the  General  Council  of  this  Church.  If  the  ac¬ 
cused  fail  to  give  notice  of  an  intention  to  appeal, 
within  ten  days  of  the  finding  of  the  Court,  the 
sentence  passed  by  said  Court  shall  be  final. 


A  cctised  to  be 
heard  before 
sentence,  and 
informed  of 
his  right  to 
A  fifieal. 


41 


me  in  C  AN  O  N  5  .  §  I.,  II. 


Of  Sentences. 

Full  Records  to 
be  kept. 

§  IX.  Every  Ecclesiastical  Court  convened  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  provisions  of  these  Canons,  shall 
keep  full  and  accurate  records  of  its  proceedings, 
including  the  whole  evidence  given  before  them; 
which  record  shall  be  attested  by  the  President 
and  Clerk,  and  shall  be  preserved,  to  be  used  in 
case  of  an  appeal  to  the  General  Council. 

The  accused  en¬ 
titled  to  a  copy. 

The  accused  shall  be  entitled  to  a  faithful  copy 
of  the  same,  at  his  own  expense. 

In  the  case  of 
Bishop ,  etc. 

C  A  N  O  N  5.  x 

Of  Sentences. 

§  I.  The  sentence  in  the  case  of  a  Bishop,  Pres¬ 
byter,  or  Deacon,  convicted  of  any  of  the  offences 
specified  in  Canon  2,  §  I.,  of  this  Title,  shall  be 
either  reprimand,  suspension,  or  displacement 
from  all  his  ministerial  functions  in  this  Church. 

Candidates. 

In  the  case  of  a  Candidate  for  the  Ministry,  he 
shall  either  be  reprimanded,  or  suspended,  or  his 
name  may  be  stricken  from  the  list  of  Candidates; 

Communicants. 

and  any  Communicant  found  guilty  of  any  offence 
specified  in  Canon  2,  §  II.,  of  this  Title  shall  be 
suspended  from  the  Communion,  until  such  time 
as  due  penitence  shall  be  manifested. 

Official  Notice. 

► 

§  II.*  Official  notice  of  a  sentence  shall  be  given 
by  the  President  of  the  Court ;  which  notice,  in 
the  case  of  a  lay  Communicant,  may  be  public  or 
private,  as  the  Rector  and  Parish  Council  shall 
deem  best  for  the  edification  of  the  Church  and 
the  benefit  of  the  offender. 

42 

*  Amended  May,  1877. 


CANON  6. 

§  I.-IV. 

Of  Appeals. 

CANON  6. 

Of  Appeals. 

§  I.  Any  person  in  this  Church,  who  may  feel 
injured  or  aggrieved  by  the  decision  of  any  of 
the  Ecclesiastical  Courts  specified  in  Canon  3,  of 
this  Title,  may  appeal  therefrom  to  the  ensuing 
General  Council,  in  the  manner  hereinafter  pro¬ 
vided  for. 

Right  of  A  ppeal 

§  II.  Any  person  intending  to  appeal  from  the 
decision  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Court  must,  at  the 
time  of  the  action,  or  within  ten  days  thereafter, 
give  notice  of  such  intention  to  the  President  of 
the  Court  from  whose  decision  he  intends  to  ap¬ 
peal.  Within  ten  days  after  such  notice,  he  shall 
send  to  the  said  President,  and  also  to  the  Secre¬ 
tary  of  the  General  Council,  in  writing,  the  Ap¬ 
peal,  with  the  reasons  thereof.  On  default  of  this, 
the  appeal  falls. 

Mode  of  A  ppeal. 

§  III.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  any  Ecclesiastical 
Court,  from  whose  acts  or  decision  an  appeal  is 
made,  to  transmit  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Council,  at  least  ten  days  before  the  Session 
of  that  body,  a  certified  copy  of  the  action  ap¬ 
pealed  from,  signed  by  the  President  and  coun¬ 
tersigned  by  the  Clerk,  together  with  the  Appeal 
and  reasons  accompanying  the  same;  and  the 
papers  thus  transmitted  shall  be  the  documents 
in  the  case. 

Duty  of  Ecclesi¬ 
astical  Courts. 

§  IV.  On  the  trial  of  an  appeal,  the  Ecclesiasti- 

43 

- 1 

1 

j  &ttlC  III.  CANON  6.  §  V.-VIII. 

1 

1 

i 

1 

Of  Appeals . 

j'he.  Court  may 
Oe  represented 
by  a  Commis¬ 
sioner. 

cal  Court  whose  decision  is  appealed  from,  may  be 
represented  b)  a  Commissioner,  a  member  of  the 
General  Council,  chosen  for  that  purpose ;  and 
both  parties  shall  have  the  right  to  be  heard. 

A  Committee  to 
be  appointed. 

§  V.  When  an  appeal  is  presented  to  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Council,  it  shall  be  referred  to  a  Committee, 
who  shall  ascertain  whether  the  proper  steps 
have  been  taken,  and  shall  arrange  the  papers 
and  documents  in  the  case,  so  that  the  subse¬ 
quent  proceedings  may  be  regular  and  syste¬ 
matic.  Such  Committee  shall  report  every  mat¬ 
ter,  bearing  directly  on  the  case,  that  may  be 
laid  before  them. 

Order  to  be  ob¬ 
served. 

§VI.  In  the  trial  of  an  appeal,  the  following 
shall  be  the  order  observed  : 

[i.]  The  Decision,  or  Sentence  appealed  from,  shall  be 
read. 

[2.]  The  Appeal  and  reasons  of  appeal  shall  be  read. 

[3.]  All  the  Documents  in  the  case  shall  be  read  in  the 
order  prescribed  by  the  Committee  on  Appeals. 

[4.]  Both  parties  shall  be  heard. 

Decision  on  the 
Appeal;  how 
made. 

§  VII.  After  all  the  parties  to  the  case  have 
been  fully  heard,  and  all  the  information  deemed 
necessary  by  the  General  Council  has  been  gained, 
an  opportunity  shall  be  given  for  the  members  to 
express  their  views,  and  a  final  vote  shall  be 
taken.  No  person  shall  vote  on  an  appeal  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Court  from 
whose  decision  the  appeal  is  made. 

Decision. 

44 

§VIII.  The  decision  of  the  General  Council, 

CANON  7. 

§  I.— III. 

Regulations  Respecting  Communicants . 

on  an  appeal,  shall  be  made  by  a  majority  vote ; 
and  may  be  either  to  confirm  or  reverse,  in  whole 
or  in  part,  the  decision  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Court, 
or  to  remit  the  case  to  the  Court,  or  to  the  per¬ 
son  to  whom  the  charges  were  originally  pre¬ 
ferred,  with  instructions  for  a  new  trial. 

§  IX.  The  confirmation  or  reversal  of  a  decis¬ 
ion  or  sentence,  by  the  General  Council,  shall  be 
a  final  disposition  of  the  case. 

Decision  final. 

CANON  7. 

Regulations  Respecting  Communicants . 

§  I.*  A  communicant  of  another  -Christian 
Church,  in  good  standing,  may  be  received  to 
the  Communion  of  this  Church,  on  a  letter  of 
dismission  or  other  satisfactory  evidence  of  mem¬ 
bership  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Reception  by 
Letter. 

§  II.  A  communicant  in  good  standing,  remov¬ 
ing  from  one  congregation  of  this  Church  to 
another,  shall  be  furnished  with  a  certificate  of 
good  standing  ;  and  no  Minister  shall  be  required 
to  enroll  any  one  as  a  communicant  until  such 
certificate  be  produced. 

Comm  u  n  icants 
to  have  Let¬ 
ters  of  Dis¬ 
mission. 

§  III.  Any  communicant  of  this  Church  in 
good  standing  shall,  at  his  or  her  request,  be  fur¬ 
nished  with  a  certificate  or  letter  of  dismissal  to 
any  Christian  Church. 

Dismissal  to 
other  Christian 
Churches. 

& 

*  Amended,  as  above,  May,  1878. 


Attestation,  187 8. 


I  HEREBY  certify  that  the  foregoing  is  a  true  copy  of 
the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  the  Reformed  Episcopal 
Church,  as  amended  by  the  General  Council,  in  1876,  in  18 17, 
and  in  1818. 

MARSHALL  B.  SMITH, 


Passaic,  N.  J.,  June,  1878. 


Secretary  of  the  General  Council. 


46 


3hti>ex  to  1 1) e  Cctnouo. 


&itle  I. — Of  the  Ministry,  Doctrine,  and  Worship. 
Canon  1. — Of  Candidates  for  the  Ministry. 

PAGE 

§  1. — Admission  of  Candidates  who  are  Members  of  this 

Church, . 13 

§  II. — Application  to  be  made  to  a  Bishop  of  this  Church,  13 
§  III. — Reception  of  Candidates  from  other  Churches,  .  14 

§  IV. — Supervision  of  Candidates, . 14 

§  V. — Not  eligible  as  Lay  Deputies,  .  .  .  .14 

§  VI. — Transfer  and  Dismission, . 15 

§  VII. — Term  of  Continuance, . 15 

Canon  2. — General  Provisions  and  Requisites  for  Or¬ 
dination. 

§  I. — Bar  to  Ordination, . 15 

§  II. — Requisite  Age, . 15 

§  III. — None  to  be  Presented  unless  Qualified,  .  .  .15 

Canon  3. — Of  Deacons. 

§  I. — Examination, . 16 

§  II. — Testimonials, . .  .  16 

§  III. — May  be  Ordained  Presbyters,  .  .  .  .16 

§  IV. — Transfer  and  Dismissal, . 16 

Reception  from  other  Churches,  .  .  .  .16 

47 


INDEX  TO  THE  CANONS. 


1C  I. — Of  the  Ministry,  Doctrine,  etc.  ( Continued .) 
CANON  4. —  Of  Presbyters  and  their  Ordination . 

J  J  PAGE 

§  I. — Examination, . 17 

§  II. — Testimonials, . 17 

§  III. — Concurrent  action  of  Bishop  and  Standing  Com¬ 
mittee,  . IS 

CANON  5. — Of  the  Reception  and  Dismissal  of  Presby¬ 
ters. 

§  I. — Reception  from  other  Churches,  .  .  ,  .18 

§  II. — Dismissal  to  other  Churches,  .  .  .  .19 

CANON  6. — Of  Persons  not  Ministers  of  this  Church, 

officiating  in  any  Congregation  thereof. 

§  I. — Protection  against  Impostors,  .  .  .  .19 

§  II. — Pastoral  Relation, . 20 

§  III. — Pulpit  Exchanges, . 20 


Canon  7. — General  Regulation  of  Ministers ,  etc. 

§  I. — Election  to  a  Pastoral  Charge, 

Presbyters  of  this  or  of  other  Churches  eligible, 
§  II. — Notice  of  Episcopal  Visitations, 

§  III.— Church  Register,  ...... 

§  IV. — Church  Music, . 

§  V. — Provision  for  Neglect  of  Ministerial  Duty, 

§  VI. — Termination  of  a  Pastoral  Relation,  .  . 

Canon  8. — Of  Bishops. 


20 

20 

20 

21 

21 

21 

21 


48 


§  I. — Missionary  Bishops,  .... 
§  II. — Bishops  of  Synods,  .  .  .  . 

§  III. — Testimonials, . 

Consecrations, . 

§  IV. — Lawful  Age, . 

§  V. — Eligibility  of  Bishops  of  other  Churches, 
§  VI. — Eligibility  to  Vacant  Synods,  . 

§  VII. — Resignation  of  Jurisdiction,  . 

§  VIII. — May  be  Dismissed  to  other  Churches,  . 


.  22 
'.  22 
.  22 
.  23 
.  23 
.  23 
.  24 
.  24 
.  24 


<!itlc  I.  — Of  the  Ministry,  Doctrine,  etc.  ( Continued .) 


PAGE 


§ix.- 

§x.- 

§  XI.- 
§  XII.- 
§  XIII.- 


-Standing  Committees  in  Missionary  Jurisdictions, .  25 

-Episcopal  Visitations, . 25 

-Residence  within  Jurisdiction,  .  .  .  .25 

-Extent  of  Jurisdiction, . .25 

-Provision  for  Vacant  Jurisdictions,  .  .  .26 


CANON  9. — Of  a  List  of  Ministers,  etc. 

§  I. — Registry, . 

§  II. — Reports  on  the  State  of  the  Churches,  . 


Canon  13. — Of  the  Consecration  of  Churches , 


26 

27 


CANON  10. —  Of  Editions  of  the  Prayer-Book. 

§  I. — To  Prevent  the  Issue  of  Unauthorized  Editions,  .  27 

CANON  11. — Of  the  Due  Celebration  of  Sundays,  .  .  28 

CANON  12. —  Of  the  else  of  the  Prayer-Book ,  .  .  .28 


.  29 


19 


f 


INDEX  TO  THE  CANONS. 


title  II.  — Of  the  Organized  Bodies  of  this 

Church. 

Canon  1. — Of  the  General  Co7incil. 


§  I. — Special  Meetings, 

§  II. — Same  Deputies, 

§  III. — Secretary,  . 

§  IV. — Treasurer,  .... 

§  V. — Expenses  of  General  Council, 

§  VI. — Committees  of  General  Council, 
Quorum,  .... 

§  VII. — General  Committee, 


PAGE 

.  30 
.  30 
.  30 
.  31 
.  31 
.  32 
.  32 
.  32 

33 
.  34 


34 


Canon  2.  —  Trustees  of  the  Sustentation  Fund , 

May  be  Incorporated,  .  «  .  . 

Canon  3. — Of  Synods , . 

Canon  4. — Of  Congregations. 

§  I. — Boundaries  Defined, . 34 

Who  may  Vote, . 34 

§  II. — Who  may  Organize  a  Congregation,  .  .  .35 

§  III. — Admission  of  Congregations  from  other  Churches,  35 
§  IV. — Consent  of  Organized  Churches  not  Required,  .  35 

§  V. — Annual  Elections, . .36 

Wardens  and  Deputies  to  be  Communicants,  .  36 

§  VI. — Duties  of  Parish  Council, . 36 

§  VII. — Offerings  to  Sustentation  Fund,  ..  .  .  .36 


50 


"  "  . "  ■  ■  — — - — 

INDEX  TO  THE  CANONS. 

®itk  III.— Of  Discipline. 

CANON  1. — Of  Discipline  in  General. 

PAGE 

§  I. — Objects  of  Discipline,  .... 

• 

• 

37 

§  II. — Two  Classes  of  Discipline  (Spiritual  and  Eccle- 

siastical), . 

• 

• 

37 

CANON  2. — Of  Offences. 

§  I. — Ministers, . 

37 

§  II. — Communicants, . 

• 

• 

38 

§  III. — Private  Offences . 

• 

• 

38 

Canon  3. — Ecclesiastical  Courts. 

§  I. — For  Bishops  or  Presbyters, 

• 

** 

38 

§  II. — Deacons  or  Candidates  for  the  Ministry, 

• 

• 

39 

§  III. — -Communicants, . 

• 

• 

39 

CANON  4. — Accusation  and  Trial . 

§  I. — Charges,  how  Made . 

• 

• 

39 

Limitation  of  Time,  .... 

• 

• 

39 

§  II. — To  whom  Charges  are  to  be  Presented, 

• 

• 

40 

§  III. — Charges  to.be  Openly  Supported,  . 

• 

• 

40 

§  IV. — Counsel, . 

40 

§  V. — Citation, . 

40 

§  VI. — Testimony, . 

40 

•  §  VII. — Decisions  of  the  Court,  .... 

• 

• 

41 

§  VIII. — Accused  to  be  heard  before  Sentence, 

and 

In- 

formed  of  his  right  to  Appeal, 

• 

• 

41 

§  IX. — Full  Records  to  be  Kept, 

• 

• 

42 

The  Accused  Entitled  to  a  Copy,  . 

• 

• 

42 

Canon  5. — Of  Sentences. 

§  I. — In  the  case  of  Bishops,  etc.,  . 

• 

• 

42 

Candidates . 

42 

Communicants,  ..... 

4 

• 

42 

§  II. — Official  Notice, . 

• 

• 

42 

51 

f - - - 

I 

INDEX  TO  THE  CANONS. 


I  $itlc  III.  — Of  Discipline.  ( Continued .) 


Canon  6. — Of  Appeals.  PAGE 

§  I. — Right  of  Appeal, . 43 

§  II. — Mode  of  Appeal . 43 

§  III. — Duty  of  Ecclesiastical  Courts,  .  .  .  .43 

§  IV. — The  Court  may  be  Represented  by  a  Commis¬ 
sioner,  . 43 

§  V. — A  Committee  to  be  Appointed,  .  .  .  .44 

§  VI. — Order  to  be  Observed, . 44 

§  VII. — Decision  on  the  Appeal,  how  made,  .  .  .44 

§  VIII. — Decision, . 44 

§  IX.— Decision  Final, .  4,5 

CANON  7. — Regulations  Respecting  Communicants. 

§  I. — Reception  by  Letter, . .45 

§  II. — Letters  of  Dismission, . 45 

§  III. — Dismissal  to  other  Christian  Churches, .  .  .  45 


END  OF  INDEX  TO  THE  CANONS. 


52 

- UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS  -  URBANA 


N301 12124381770A 


